Hundreds of mourners gathered in Beirut's southern suburbs on Sunday for the funeral of three Lebanese journalists killed in an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon the previous day. The victims were Ali Shoeib, a veteran correspondent for Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Manar TV, Fatima Ftouni of Al Mayadeen channel, and her brother Mohammad Ftouni, a freelance cameraman.
The journalists were traveling together in a vehicle near Jezzine on the highway between Nabatieh and Sidon when an Israeli bomb struck their car. According to witnesses, a second strike hit as colleagues rushed to help the victims. The Lebanese health ministry reported that an ambulance carrying first responders was also targeted in the attack.
The funeral took place in pouring rain, with mourners holding posters of the deceased journalists wearing their press body armor and holding cameras. Many Hezbollah flags were visible at the ceremony in the temporary cemetery where the group maintains influence. The bodies of Shoeib and Fatima Ftouni were draped with their respective television channels' logos and adorned with flower bouquets.
They're killing the messengers of this war
Mourner — Sky News
Israeli military officials acknowledged targeting the journalists but attempted to justify the killings by claiming Shoeib was a member of Hezbollah's elite Radwan force who was passing information about Israeli troop movements. However, no evidence was provided to support this allegation, and the military made no comment regarding the deaths of the Ftouni siblings.
Al Jazeera frames the story as a clear condemnation of Israeli actions, emphasizing Lebanese authorities' characterization of the attack as a war crime. The outlet presents the incident straightforwardly without questioning the journalists' affiliations.